The meaning of the term “humanism” has changed according to the successive intellectual movements that have identified with it. Generally, the term refers to a focus on human well-being and advocates for human freedom, autonomy, and progress. It views humanity as responsible for the promotion and development of individuals, espouses the equal and inherent dignity of all human beings, and emphasizes a concern for humans in relation to the world.

We were not alone - ’Humans” have a rich and interesting evolutionary history

‘Humans’ have interacted with the biosphere from our origins till today

What does it mean, in your opinion, to be ‘Human’

Does your perspective on the Anthropocene change after reading this chapter?

What are (at least three) key reasons this cartoon lacks accuracy and is deeply problematic?

Humans did not evolve from chimps, we both evolved from a common ancestor

Early human evolution was not a linear progression but a branching tree

Multiple species of ancient humans walked the earth at the same time

Modern humans originated in Africa and then spread around the world evolving incredible diversity (so the buff-white-male-endpoint is not only ridiculous but problematic in many ways)

There is no endpoint, humans are still evolving

What are the consequences of misconceptions about human evolution past, present & future?

Is egocentrism at the root of the environmental crisis?

• Humans are a part of the tree of life, not above it

  • Aristotle and Scala Natura

  
  

• Humans are the only species capable of free thinking…

  • dolphins and bonobos have sex for fun

• Are humans the most complex organism on Earth?
  • octopus eye vs human eye
    
• Nothing that exists on Earth is actually ‘primitive’
  • consider the basics of evolution and selection!

• Why does this matter now?
  • societies/cultures create false hierarchies based on ladder approach

• Aristole (Scala Natura & Great Chain of Being) was wrong

• Phylogenies do not imply that organisms are more advanced
  • pathways of evolutionary novelties that makes each taxa unique
  • unique does not have to mean more complex

• Ancestral ‘humans’ can be split into ~4 groups (genera)

• Groupings relate to timing and evolutionary milestones
  • gets messy the farther you go back (lack of fossils)

• Fossil record is very incomplete
  • common ancestor with Pan is unknown
  • total number of ancestral humans may change
  • Toumai fossil (Chad) dated 6-7 mya
  • Ardi fossil (Ethiopia) dated 4.4 mya

• Homo habilis was probably first (most primitive) → 2.3 - 1.4 mya

• Homo sapiens evolved approx. 300,00 - 200,00 years ago

• The evolution of the Homo genus was not a ladder!

• Humans have always been hunters

• Human arrival associated with biodiversity loss
  • centered around larger animals
  • impacted whole ecosystems

• Islands are great case studies
  • New Zealand, Madagascar

• Humans not the only reason
  • related to big climate shifts